San Francisco heritage · UC Berkeley stewardship

Safeguarding our past.
For generations to come.

Our history deserves lasting protection. Preserving the Chee Kung Tong archive at UC Berkeley helps keep the records of our brotherhood safe, organized and available for future generations to discover.

Arrange an archive visit ↓

Exterior of the C. V. Starr East Asian Library at UC Berkeley — C. V. Starr East Asian Library, UC Berkeley. Photograph: UC Berkeley Library. [3]

Protection is our priority

A lasting home for an irreplaceable record.

Our central purpose is to protect the documents, photographs and cultural memory entrusted to us. Professional library care, careful handling and controlled access help preserve the original materials while allowing their stories to remain part of public life.

The Chee Kung Tong archival collection entered the care of Berkeley’s C. V. Starr East Asian Library in May 2018. It contains more than 5,000 items spanning over a century, including organizational records, correspondence, telegrams, publications, photographs and artworks. [2]

Preservation in practice

Care for the originals. Access to the stories.

Organize & identify

Librarians sort records, identify names and dates, assign file numbers and group materials so that researchers can understand their context. [2]

Protect & handle with care

The rare-book policy requires designated reading-room use, limits personal belongings and sets careful handling rules. Materials are returned to staff before readers leave. [4]

Digitize & share

Cataloging and digitization connect this local history with readers around the world. Explore archival photographs on our gallery page and follow the linked Berkeley catalog records.

Explore the photographs →

People behind the preservation

A shared commitment to our history.

Peter Zhou

Former director, East Asian Library. Zhou helped bring the archive to Berkeley in 2018. Historian Sonia Ng worked with him and helped the lodge evaluate a lasting home for the collection. He retired in June 2025. [1]

Jianye He

Librarian for Chinese Collections. With Chinese-language cataloger Fumei Chen Lin, she documented the archive’s processing work in a 2020 presentation, including classification and preparation for digitization and conservation. [2]

We honor the chapter members, historians and library professionals whose dedication carries this work forward. The people pictured here are Berkeley library professionals connected with the collection’s stewardship.

From the collection

The faces and gatherings we preserve.

From revolutionary organizing to community celebrations, these photographs carry generations of memory. Explore five original images from the Chee Kung Tong Archive at UC Berkeley, with links to their collection records.

The Hongmen Fundraising Bureau · Circa July 1911 — Circa July 1911
The Hongmen Fundraising Bureau
Chee Kung Tong Archive, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, UC Berkeley · S-E-3
View the archive record ↗

Delegates of the Hongmen gathering · April 7, 1918 — April 7, 1918
Delegates of the Hongmen gathering
Chee Kung Tong Archive, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, UC Berkeley · S-E-48
View the archive record ↗

Worldwide Hongmen gathering delegates · October 10, 1923 — October 10, 1923
Worldwide Hongmen gathering delegates
Chee Kung Tong Archive, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, UC Berkeley · S-E-8
View the archive record ↗

Welcoming Gong Zhanlu at Hang Far Low, San Francisco · November 29, 1931 — November 29, 1931
Welcoming Gong Zhanlu at Hang Far Low, San Francisco
Chee Kung Tong Archive, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, UC Berkeley · S-E-39
Photograph: May’s Photo / 精美映相館
View the archive record ↗

Commemorative gathering at Kwok Wah restaurant · 1963 — 1963
Commemorative gathering at Kwok Wah restaurant
Chee Kung Tong Archive, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, UC Berkeley · E-2-94
View the archive record ↗

Original photographic mounts and inscriptions are shown in full. Rights remain with the applicable rights holders.

History welcomes curiosity

You are welcome to request a visit.

Members, families, students, researchers and anyone interested in our history are welcome to inquire. Contact the East Asian Library directly, or contact our chapter for help connecting with the library.

Tell the library you wish to consult the Chee Kung Tong Archive. Include your topic, preferred dates and any catalog or item numbers.
Request materials at least 24 hours ahead, and wait for staff to confirm availability and arrangements before traveling. Access depends on the condition of materials and library requirements. [4]
Follow staff guidance on handling, photography and reproductions. Special collections are consulted in the library and cannot be borrowed to take home. [3]

Contact Berkeley’s Chinese collections librarian ↗Contact our chapter →

Library visitor information, current hours and contact details: C. V. Starr East Asian Library ↗

Continue the journey

Preserved with care. Remembered together.

These records belong to the story of a community: its service, its struggles and its enduring bonds. Protecting them is our commitment to those who came before us and those who will follow.

Our history & legacy →

Sources & photograph credits

Berkeley photographs reproduced without alteration; credited above. UC Berkeley Library website content is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 unless otherwise noted. CC BY-NC 4.0

Safeguarding our past.For generations to come.